~ Chronicles of Maine Island Living

Category Archives: Whole30

Last Friday I finished another round of Whole30. Then I took the weekend off (it was Valentine’s Day after all). I started again on Whole30 again on Monday. I saw the doctor today and I have lost another seven pounds! Since mid October when I first started eating healthy using the Whole30 guidelines I have lost a total of nineteen pounds! I am still an extra lovely sized woman, but I am definitely slimming down some. The doctor is pleased and wants me to keep it up and take it off!

As my regular readers are aware, I am currently on a Whole30. Day twenty-nine to be exact. Whole30 is an eating program which with your willpower basically rids your body of nutritionally suboptimal, inflammation causing food and beverage for a month. The program isn’t designed as a weight loss program, but people tend to lose weight while on the program.

You eat vegetables, fruit, protein, and healthy fats for thirty days. You do not consume grains, legumes, soy, dairy, alcohol, or sugar. No processed food. I bought the book It Starts With Food by Dallas and Melissa Hartwig, full price at the bookstore in October when I first started eating clean with Whole30. Great book that helped me understand the science behind their Whole30 program.

Today, at the Vintage Values thrift store, I found their companion volume, The Whole30: The 30-DAY Guide to TOTAL HEALTH and FOOD FREEDOM.

For $0.80!!! A thirty dollar book that I am dying to read for $0.80! A copy I can keep for future reference. I am so excited! I have my reading glasses ready to go!

So, in addition to the Harry Potter audiobooks, one through four, that I found earlier today for $4, I scored this fantastic Whole30 book to help me with my next round of Whole30. I am on a weight loss endeavor which has me committed to several more rounds of healthy eating as outlined by the Whole30 program.

For those of you following along, it is Day 23 of my third Whole30. I am hanging in there.

Also, it is Day Four of my thrifting hiatus.

Now, I may have to rethink this hiatus, because how on earth am I going to write a badass thrifting lifestyle blog if I have given up thrifting (albeit temporarily)?!? Doesn’t make much sense.

Today Jane and I took a ride to see her orthopedic doctor. She has fractured her ankle. The doc put her in “Das Boot”, one of those rigid Velcro Transformer-like walking casts. I once had one. So did darling daughter. Jane is taking the whole thing in stride (see what I did there?).

Well, bless her heart, Jane gave me some brand new clothes today! Five pairs of sweatpants and a sweater!

So even on a thrifting hiatus, I manage to score some new clothes! Amaze-balls! Thanks Jane!!!

It is Day 21 of my third Whole30. I have eaten way too many Larabars this go around! They are so delicious! And convenient! And tasty!

In any case, I made some Whole30 compliant baked apples this afternoon! I was just winging it. I cored four MacIntosh apples and placed them in my baking dish. I filled the hollow spot with unsweetened dried coconut and a bit of ghee. Then I sprinkled cinnamon on top. Nuts would have been a good addition, but I went nut less today. I covered the dish and popped them in a 375 degree oven for about forty five minutes. Viola!

The inside of the apple became quite custard like! Yay! Delicious!

Day Two of my “No Thrifting” for the month of February personal challenge. I wore a shirt today I thrifted last week (the gray tie dyed one). So far, so good!

I did a bit of thrifting today. We must be at maximum capacity around here in terms of stuff because I was not feeling the vibe. Gasp! What, not feeling the vibe!?!

I have amassed quite a bit of stuff lately, what with the holidays and the thrifting trip to Florida. I have collected books not yet read, projects not yet completed, and even clothes not yet worn. So I have decided I am going to take a hiatus from thrifting. I am taking the month of February off from thrifting!

Now this will be easier said than done because I am truly addicted to the thrill of the hunt. I love to find bargains. But, in the interest of space in our tiny house and money in the bank, I am taking a break. Of course, I picked the shortest month of the year for this personal challenge!

To up the ante, as it were, I think every time I get hit with the urge to thrift I will go for a walk instead. A nice, budget friendly health improving walk around the island where we live. February isn’t the best time of the year for walking in the neighborhood, but it won’t kill me to do it. In fact, I have an ulterior motive and it goes something like this…

In the next thirteen months or so, I will be turning FIFTY!!! I know, it is hard to believe!

Turning fifty has motivated me to get into shape. Well, that and all the scolding by my doctor. I have been following the Whole 30 eating plan off and on since October. I have lost weight when I follow the plan. I am still an extra lovely sized woman, but I am making progress with losing weight.

Getting back to thrifting. Today will be my last thrifting hurrah for a month. I did find something today I just had to have, pink floral pants!!!

Oh my goodness. They are so me. They are from Garnet Hill. They were half price at just $3. And, the kicker is, they are size 6. I am no where near a size 6 right now. But, with some hard work and determination, I very well could be a size 6 for my fiftieth birthday.

That is my goal. These pants are my motivational pants. These pants are going to inspire me to focus on my weight loss goal. These pants are the bomb.

Unless you have been asleep under a rock somewhere all week, you probably know the east coast is having a blizzard right now! Jonas is here for a visit. Due to high winds, the electricity just flickered twice here. That made me run upstairs to charge my phone!

Losing electricity would be a very bad thing for us as we heat with an electric air pump. That, and being able to cook, make tea and coffee, charge our phones, listen to the radio, have hot water and indoor lighting would go away if the power goes out. Fingers crossed nothing happens to our electricity!

I am not alone for the blizzard. I picked darling daughter up from school on Thursday. She doesn’t have classes on Fridays this semester. She was supposed to go wedding gown shopping with her friend, Mandy, yesterday. Alas, the appointment was cancelled because of the impending weather. Mandy is getting married in the summer of 2017 and darling daughter is in the wedding party, one of three bridesmaids.

It started snowing yesterday afternoon about 1pm. After running a couple quick errands about that time, we ensconced ourselves in our humble abode. Cabin fever set in rather quickly. Just the idea that I shouldn’t be out and about in the bad weather is enough to make me feel trapped. Even though there are plenty of things to do here, I complained about being bored.

Darling daughter has her homework assignments, a summer job application, and Mock Trial case to keep busy. Meanwhile I have been cooking up a Whole 30 storm. Darling daughter is a good sport and eats what I make. We had carnitas last night. For breakfast this morning, I made sautéed nutmeg parsnips. Delicious.

It is supposed to continue snowing all day. Later on, I will suit up in my winter gear and take some photos for you all.

We are safe and sound. I hope you are too if you are experiencing the bad weather also.

Hello friends. Day eight of my third Whole30 and I am doing ok. I can tell I’ve vanquished a bit of the weight I gained over the holidays and on vacation in Florida because I am wearing smaller than usual pants! Woo hoo!

At the supermarket today I discovered Larabars. I had read on the Internet that certain varieties of Larabars are, in fact, Whole30 compliant. So I checked the labels and grabbed two fistfuls!

OMG! Delicious! I tried the Coconut Cream Pie. Yum. Now I understand the danger of these delicious little bars. I don’t want to get carried away eating these bars rather than other nutrient rich, healthy, whole foods.

Whole30 is an eating plan that has worked for me in the past. You eat protein, vegetables, fruit, and healthy fat on Whole30. You do not eat sugar, dairy, grains, legumes, soy, and unhealthy fats. No processed foods. No alcohol.

In thirty days from October to November 2015, I lost fourteen (14!) pounds by following the plan. I lost another four pounds in December as I undertook my second Whole30. However, I only lasted two weeks on my second Whole30 because of STARBUCKS HOLIDAY LATTES!!! Seriously.

In mid December I fell off the Whole30 plan. Sure, lattes were available just down the street. I love lattes. I think, though, it was the anticipation of the holidays that got to me.

I did not trust myself to stick with the plan over the holidays. Darling daughter would be home from school and I wanted to indulge her (and indulge with her) with all her favorite food and beverage. It seemed like a lost cause.

Then we vacationed in Florida. We visited my parents. I did not want to jump through hoops in trying to eat according to Whole30 while staying with them. Excuses, excuses.

I visited the doctor today. I gained back six of the eighteen pounds I had lost. Still, the doctor was pleased I had lost twelve pounds in three months. I am glad it was just six pounds I gained back. Can you say “yo-yo”?

In any case, I am back on Whole30 starting today! I have been to the grocery store and stocked up on healthy foods. I am good. I can do this.

I am on hiatus. I ate nachos Sunday night. Definitely not Whole30 compliant. I thought “no big deal; I can start over on Monday”. Here it is Wednesday and I have yet to restart. While I am eating (mostly) Whole30 compliant meals, some lattes (Starbucks Holiday lattes) and cookies have slipped into my diet!

I stopped at the doctor’s office to get weighed this afternoon. I am thinking that might motivate me if I had lost more weight. I lost another four pounds since December 1, bringing my grand total up to eighteen (18!) pounds lost since October 24. Not bad considering my recent and ongoing noncompliance.

Now if I can just refocus and get started again. I see the doctor in a month. I’d like to have lost even more weight so he knows I am serious about improving my health. Christmas and some upcoming travel are going to make this challenging. I better get going!